Caryopteris plant named ‘Janice’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Caryopteris  plant named ‘Janice’, characterized by its compact and low mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; full and dense plants; yellow green-colored leaves that do not burn under full sun conditions; freely flowering habit; and violet blue-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Caryopteris×clandonensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘JANICE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Caryopteris plant, botanically known as Caryopteris×clandonensis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Janice’.

The new Caryopteris plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, freely-flowering and vigorous Caryopteris plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Caryopteris plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2005 in Grand Haven, Mich. of Caryopteris×clandonensis ‘Minibleu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,674, as the female, or seed, parent with Caryopteris×clandonensis ‘Jason’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/878,606 (Abandoned), as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Caryopteris plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. during the summer of 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Caryopteris plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since June, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Caryopteris plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Janice has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Janice’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Janice’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Caryopteris plant:

-   -   1. Compact and low mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; full and dense plants.     -   4. Yellow green-colored leaves that do not burn under full sun         conditions.     -   5. Freely flowering habit.     -   6. Violet blue-colored flowers that are held above and beyond         the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Caryopteris can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Minibleu’. Plants of the new Caryopteris differ from plants of ‘Minibleu’ primarily in leaf coloration as plants of ‘Minibleu’ have dark green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Caryopteris can be compared to plants of the male parent, ‘Jason’. Plants of the new Caryopteris differ from plants of ‘Jason’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caryopteris are more compact than plants of         ‘Jason’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caryopteris are denser than and not as open         as plants of ‘Jason’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Caryopteris are glossier than         leaves of plants of ‘Jason’.

Plants of the new Caryopteris can be compared to plants of Caryopteris incana ‘Worcester Gold’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Caryopteris differed from plants of ‘Worcester Gold’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caryopteris were more compact than plants         of ‘Worcester Gold’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caryopteris were more uniform than plants         of ‘Worcester Gold’.     -   3. Plants of the new Caryopteris are more freely branching and         denser than plants of ‘Worcester Gold’.     -   4. Leaves of plants of the new Caryopteris were glossier than         leaves of plants of ‘Worcester Gold’.     -   5. Leaves of plants of the new Caryopteris did not burn under         full sun conditions whereas leaves of plants of ‘Worcester Gold’         burned under full sun conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Caryopteris plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Caryopteris plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Janice’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Janice’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. Plants were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Caryopteris×clandonensis ‘Janice’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Caryopteris×clandonensis             ‘Minibleu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,674.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Caryopteris×clandonensis ‘Jason’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.             10/878,606 (Abandoned). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 days at 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months at 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub; compact and             low mounding plant habit; freely branching habit with about             347 lateral branches developing per plant; full and dense             plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 40 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 17 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color, developing branches.—Close to 145A and 181A.         -   Color, developed branches.—Close to 199B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Fragrance.—Aromatic.         -   Length.—About 6 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Crenate to lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 1A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 1B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 150A; venation,             close to 150A, leaves do not burn under full sun conditions.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 160A;             venation, close to 160A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 150A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Solitary funnelform flowers             arranged in terminal and axially panicled cymes; flowers             face mostly upward or outward; freely flowering habit with             about 13 flowers per inflorescence and about 104 flowers per             lateral branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from August to             October in Grand Haven, Mich., flowering continuous during             this period.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Flowers last about eight             weeks; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Funnelform, corolla fused and             five-parted. Diameter: About 2 mm. Depth (height): About 3.5             cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 193A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals; one             larger than the other four. Petal length, largest petal:             About 3 mm. Petal length, smaller four petals: About 2 mm.             Petal width, largest petal: About 3 mm. Petal width, smaller             four petals: About 2.5 mm. Petal lobe shape, largest petal:             Oblong. Petal lobe shape, four smaller petals: Ovate. Petal             lobe apex, largest petal: Lacerate, fringed. Petal lobe             apex, four smaller petals: Acute. Petal lobe margin, largest             petal: Lacerate. Petal lobe margin, four smaller petals:             Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 95C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 95C; color becoming closer to 95D with development.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Single whorl of six fused sepals; calyx             funnelform. Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Sepal             apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal color, upper             surface: Close to 146B. Sepal color, lower surface: Close to             195A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             146D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Color: Close to 146D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower. Anther shape: Round. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 96A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 96A. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.             Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 96D. Style             length: About 1.3 cm. Style color: Close to 96D. Ovary             color: Close to 195A. Seeds: Appearance: Dust-like. Length:             Less than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Brown. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Caryopteris have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about −27° C. to     about 34° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Caryopteris have not     been observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to     Caryopteris plants. 

1. A new and distinct Caryopteris plant named ‘Janice’ as illustrated and described. 